Re: RC: change of subject

[RQuestarabians@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/10/2000 9:36:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
steph@endurance.net writes:

<< Posting DNF in the ride results?
I do not think this is necessarily a "bad" thing. Many people have stated 
that they feel it is negative to post the people that do not finish. If 
anything, posting the DNF riders and horses is a "positive" approach, as it 
may for instance help encourage the few riders out there with the "win or get 
pulled mentality" to maybe slow down if necessary and get a completion rather 
than showing as a pull. Just a thought .   
 
 International - take Endurance to the Olympics, keep it at home? What
 should AERC's role be?
Definately, get endurance riding out there and eventually expose it to the 
Olympic level. AERC's role should be to first educate their riders and 
provide more FEI level rides in America so we will have "practice and 
comfort" at that level of competition. 
 
 Limited Distance - leave it the way it is? 
I am not a LD rider. I do not see why someone is not allowed to get at least 
"mileage" credit for going  25 or 30 miles.  I can understand the concern of 
people wanting to avoid the racing for points in LD. So, why don't we just 
not give any points at the endurance level like it is now. Give only 
"mileage" credit toward the horse's lifetime mileage. If someone wants to 
race for points than let the 50 mile rides on up be the incentive as it is 
now. Just like you get a whole lot of points for just finishing a 100 mile 
ride compared to a 50. It is equal to finishing (3) 50's if you just finish a 
100.The higher points is an incentive to do the longer distance if someone is 
after points.

 Should AERC accept non-US memberships? We already include
 Canada, what about other countries? Can we increase our
 strength world-wide by horizontal growth?
Does AERC have the man power to do it? If so, then why not? The more the 
merrier!
 
 How can we better educate our own riders, rider managers and vets?
By learning from the people who have been been or are successful in 
endurance. Such as Julie Suhr, Becky Hart, Valerie Kanavy . . . .These people 
are invaluable to our sport as are many others. Perhaps there can be more 
educational clinics or special events with these high caliber teachers . 
Another thought is to produce videos on endurance as there currently is not a 
lot of videos or books on endurance as compared to other equestrian sports.  
 
 Training cats using round-pen techniques? 
I think it may be the other way around . . . cats own us we don't own them. 
Perhaps it would be more like cats training humans to run around the 
roundpen? Cats will use the  roundpen in only one way . . . as a  really 
large litter box!
Robyn